


The Clouds are Lifting

by idra



Series: 31 Days of Fic (August 2016) [8]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Implied Relationships, M/M, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Requited Love, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 15:02:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7719394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idra/pseuds/idra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony discovers that he loves Steve, but he thinks that Steve loves Bucky.  So he helps Steve find Bucky.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Clouds are Lifting

**Author's Note:**

> Day 8. Longest fic of this challenge so far. Go me. This has sort of implied Stucky, but there's no actual Stucky in this. I don't write Stucky.
> 
> Song for today is Candle on the Water from Pete's Dragon.

Tony sighs as he watches Steve work out. Steve hasn’t been the same since he joined Tony and the rest of the Avengers in New York. Ever since he saw Bucky as the Winter Soldier and nearly died saving his best friend who apparently didn’t remember him. Then of course, there was the whole thing with Ultron. Really, it was surprising to Tony that Steve hadn’t broken before now. Seventy years on ice, waking up to find out everyone you love is dead except for one person who doesn’t really remember you all of the time, then finding out that his best friend, who he’d seen fall to his death is somehow alive and has been a pawn for the exact same organization that Steve had given his own life to end? Then of course, an army from outer space (and Tony himself being a total ass-- though Steve had been an ass too), and then Ultron. It hadn’t been until after Sokovia that Tony had even really realized that what he’d seen had been a “gift” from Wanda before she’d left the dark side to join the good guys. She’d apologized, he’d accepted, but... that didn’t mean he forgave her. 

Anyhow, Tony knows that Steve, of all of them, is as messed up as it’s possible to be and still manage to function. He just wishes Steve realized that Tony is there. Tony has his back. If Steve wants to run off and find his not-so-dead best friend-slash-assassin, then Tony will pay for any and all things that are needed. If Steve wants to break a million heavy bags because nothing is really up to super strength that doesn’t hurt Steve’s hands, Tony will just keep replacing them and repairing them. If Steve wants something new and improved to help bring his shield back to him, Tony will design it and make it and improve it whenever needed. And oh no, Tony thinks to himself. ‘Oh fuck,’ he thinks, eyes going wide. ‘I’m in love with Steve Rogers. What the fuck is wrong with me?’ 

He turns and heads down to his lab, tinkering with this, fixing that, pulling this box apart, and putting that sphere together. He’s got to get that out of his head. He can’t love Steve Rogers. Well, okay, he can, obviously. But Steve will never return the feelings. Steve can’t return the feelings. Steve is in love with Bucky. Everyone knows that. All you have to do is say the name Bucky Barnes around Steve and it’s a look of love you get in return. 

Tony sighs and pushes aside the project he’s working on. How in the world is he going to face Steve after this revelation? He has to just suck it up and deal with it. His feelings should not get in the way of his friendship with Steve. He tilts his head when he hears Friday talking to someone outside the door. “Friday, whoever it is just let them in.”

“Sir, it is Captain America. He is in a bad mood and I do not think you should...”

“Thank you, Friday. Let him in. You keeping him out is only going to make him angrier,” Tony points out. He turns to face the doors, smiling when they open and Steve walks in, scowling. “Steve, to what do I owe this honour?” 

“Bucky was seen here.”

“In New York?” 

“Here. In your lab! Why didn’t you tell me?” 

Tony frowns and looks around his lab. Nothing too much is out of order, but now that he’s really looking, he does notice that his in progress suit is not where it should be. “Fuck. I didn’t see him, Steve. When I came in here, I was alone. I’d think he would’ve said something if he’d been here,” Tony adds.

“Tony...” Steve sinks onto a nearby stool. “Swear you didn’t know.”

“I had no idea. I promise, Steve. I wouldn’t lie about someone you love. Especially not Bucky.”

“I want to find him so we can get him better. I know... I know he’s made some major mistakes, but...”

“I know. We’ll find him and you’ll have your first love back. It’ll be okay.”

“My... my... my what?” Steve looks at Tony, confused. 

“It’s cool now, Steve. You and Bucky can live happily ever after if you want. Legally. In all fifty states.” Tony smiles, even though he feels like throwing up. He reaches over, patting Steve’s shoulder. “Friday, pinpoint Barnes’ location. And get my suit.” He turns back to Steve. “I’ll bring him in for you.”

He heads for the platform that assembles and disassembles his suit and he looks away from Steve as the suit is put on him. Friday informs him that she’s found Bucky and he nods, the face shield closing as Steve starts for him. Tony turns and jets off to the location Friday had found Bucky in. He spots Bucky and holds his hands up, noting that Bucky had taken the none working arm of the in progress suit. “James Buchanan Barnes. Stop where you are.” He sets down next to Bucky, surprised that the man doesn’t immediately attack him. Flipping up the face plate, he looks at Barnes and sighs a little. “Steve’s been looking for you, Bucky.”

“Tell him to stop.” 

“I can’t.” Tony licks his lips and sighs. “If you come with me, I’ll take you to him. He’ll help you. I’ll help him help you. You know who I am.”

“Tony Stark. I killed your father and your mother,” Bucky mumbles, looking up at him. “Still wanna help me?” 

“Not particularly. But Steve does. Steve loves you. Steve wants you back.”

“I love Steve, but I’m a monster.”

“No. You’re just a man who’s done bad things.” Tony reaches out a hand. “Come on, Bucky. I’ll get you an arm that’ll work for real. That’s not gonna cut it for you. Especially if you want to hold Steve again.”

“Tony, why...”

“Because I want Steve to be happy and he needs you in his life to be happy.”

“You’re in love with him.”

“Yeah, well. It’s going around.” Tony shakes the hand he’d held out earlier. “He needs you, Bucky. He’s lost everything else. Don’t take you from him as well.”

Bucky sighs and takes Tony’s hand. “You can’t trust me alone with him.”

“You won’t hurt him.”

“I already did.”

“Okay, but you won’t do it again. You know the truth now.”

“And the truth is I’m a killer.”

“Eh. You were a killer before you became the Winter Soldier. Or, I’m sorry, do I have it wrong? You weren’t the best sniper of the Commando’s?”

“That was different.”

“Only because you were getting paid.” Tony pulls Bucky against the armour and closes the face plate. “Hold on tight, Bucky.” He pushes off into the air, smirking a bit when Bucky yelps. When they get back to the Tower, the first thing Tony does is drop Bucky off on Steve’s floor. He’s not surprised to see the sliding glass doors fly open and Steve step out and just freeze. 

But that’s one reunion he really doesn’t want to see, so as soon as Bucky is on the balcony, Tony’s taking off again. He heads for the platform and gets the suit off as soon as possible. Then he pulls up the schematics he’d found in some of the information Natasha had downloaded from Hydra for Bucky’s arm. He can make it better. He will. Maybe he’ll present it to Bucky as a wedding present when those two finally get married. Hell, he knows it’s just a matter of time. 

He works on the arm until he’s got a workable prototype and someone is pounding on the door to the lab. “Hold your horses,” he mutters wiping at his eyes. His vision is blurry and he can’t figure out why until he stumbles over and opens the door. 

Steve is standing there and Steve is pissed. Bucky’s behind him, looking almost like he wishes he had some popcorn for this show. “You find Bucky for me, then disappear for four days!?”

“Four... Oh.” Tony glances around, then asks, “Friday?”

“Sir, it has been 102 hours since you dropped Sergeant Barnes off at Captain Rogers’ balcony.”

“Oh.” Tony nods, wobbles a little, then smiles at Steve. “Sorry. I was working on a present for Bucky. Wanna try it out?” He gestures to the table where the prototype arm is laying. 

“No, he doesn’t.” 

“Yes I do,” Bucky interrupts. “But I can’t, because Steve is mad at you. I have to wait until he’s had his say and then you’ve had some sleep.”

“Bucky, go back to my apartment.” Steve glares out of the corner of his eye at Bucky who shrugs, puts his hands up and heads to the elevator. 

“Should he be on his own?” 

“Natasha is in there. She and Buck have been in an on again, off again thing since she first went to the Red Room apparently. Now they’re looking to make it on again in a sort of permanent way.”

“But he loves you.”

“And I love him, but what does that have to do... oh.” Steve laughs then and Tony’s slightly insulted and completely confused. “I keep forgetting how... what’s the phrase? No homo this time is. Tony, we’re family. Me and Buck. We love each other. Men in our day weren’t afraid to show each other we loved them. Not as friends. I mean, yeah. Homosexuals were frowned upon, but I honestly think that they were less frowned upon then than they are now.” Steve shakes his head. “I love Bucky. He is my brother. Maybe not blood, but in all ways that count. And he loves me. I’m his brother. He’s all I had after my mom died. There was nothing but him. Then the war happened.” Steve looks down at himself and shrugs. “I never had what Bucky and Natasha have. I never had someone who would be there after the end of time waiting for me. Peggy... I thought she was the one, but she understandably didn’t wait.”

“I’d wait for you,” Tony murmurs, then wants to kick his own ass. He’ll have to have Friday power one of the suits to smack him hard enough to shut him up. “I’d wait forever for you.” Oh God, why won’t his mouth stop moving?

“Tony,” Steve says as he steps forward. “Why would you say that?” 

“Because I’m in love with you, dummy. Because I love you and not in the friendship or family way. You’re so amazing. Everything you’ve been through, everything you continue to go through and you just keep going.” Tony really needs to have a conversation with his brain about shutting up once in a while. “My God, Steve, do you not know how perfect you are?” 

“I’m not perfect, Tony. I just try to be good.”

“That’s what makes you perfect,” Tony replies reaching out to touch Steve’s face. “Firstly, that you don’t think you are. Secondly, because you don’t try to be perfect. You’re a good man and that is so important. Yeah, okay, you make mistakes, but we all do that. You’re not Superman after all. You’re just a man, maybe a super soldier, but you’re not Superman. Thirdly, oh my God, have you looked in a mirror?”

“That is only because of the serum.”

“I’m not talking about the body, though thank you, Dr. Erskine for that. You are adorable. Cute and kind of dorky and hot. I’ve seen the before pictures. You were all of those things before the serum. They just made you look even better. I always thought you couldn’t improve on perfection, but Dr. Erskine and his formula managed it.”

Steve blushes, ducking his head. “Tony, stop.”

Tony falls silent, licking his lips. He’s gone too far. He pushed too hard and God, what was he thinking. He fucked up. He always fucks up. He turns and takes a breath only to be spun back. “What?”

“You were embarrassing me. I only wanted you to stop that. Tony, do you really... Do you love me?” 

“Yes. I have. I think I always will.”

Steve moves closer, smiling down at Tony. “Yeah?”

“Yes.” Tony sighs, rolling his eyes. 

Steve grins and leans down, kissing him hungrily. Tony moans and kisses back, unable to do anything but. His arms slide around Steve and Steve’s slide around Tony’s waist, lifting him a little without breaking the kiss. After several long moments, Steve sets Tony down and rests his forehead against Tony’s. “I love you too, Tony. Thank you for giving me Bucky back, but nothing can compare to how happy you just made me. Now, let’s get you food, then I’m going to tuck you into bed.”

Tony grins and cups Steve’s face. “You put out before the first date?” 

“No. You’re going to bed because you’ve been awake for four days and six hours. Come on, Tony. Let’s get you some food. What would you like?”

Tony frowns at hearing he’s not going to have sex, but he shrugs. “Cheeseburger please.”

“Fine. Friday, please order Tony a cheeseburger from his favourite delivery place. Do you want a shower, Tony?” 

“Will you shower with me? Otherwise I might fall and hurt myself.” Tony smiles. 

Steve chuckles and nods. “Yeah. I’ll shower with you.” He leads Tony upstairs to the penthouse and into the bathroom.

the end


End file.
